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The Graduation Transmission
"The Graduation Transmission" is the twenty-second episode of the eighth season of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. The episode aired on Thursday, April 23, 2015. Summary Leonard is asked to make the commencement address at his old . Raj splurges on a ic which Sheldon and Howard try to get to operate. Extended Plot Howard is looking over the that Raj has bought. Even though it's the top of the line, Raj just can't get it to work. Leonard enters with his packed to find that Penny is not even ready. The two of them are off to Leonard's old where he is giving the Commencement Address. Sheldon is worried that Leonard will lose an eye when all their s are thrown in the air. Amy thinks that it's nice that he's taking Penny. After a poor high school experience, he gets to return as a successful with a on his arm and, per Sheldon, a pointy hat sticking out of his . As Penny and Leonard head down the stairs, Penny explains how she packed so fast. One spring break she took nothing, but a long and a . As Leonard is knocking New Jersey, he gets a that their flight has been canceled due to bad . Howard and Sheldon are trying to get the helicopter system to work. First they are trying to it. Sheldon complains about how the is written. The procedure doesn't work and they have to do it again trying to get the colored light sequence correct. In his apartment, Raj receives a call from his father. First he asks about his Emily and then yells at him for spending a month's on a helicopter. His father wants to teach him some responsibility and is going to eliminate his monthly allowance. Raj tries to explain to him that he misses everybody so much and since they are getting a , playing with his toy will make him feel better. Dr. K doesn't buy it. Howard is still trying to re-calibrate the copter and succeeds until the final step. Now Howard wants to look inside it to fix it even though it voids the . As is often the case, he does point out his from M.I.T. The next , Penny returns from with a pick-me-up present for Leonard. She bought him a and arranged with his old high school to give his address on Skype. The gown is from a costume store is very short since it is a " graduate" . The helicopter is completely disassembled on the counter. Howard doesn't seem completely sure what all the parts do, but he still flaunts his . Sheldon reminds him of the space toilet he built for the space station that didn't work. Howard counters that the wasn't designed for the Russian 's base diet. Raj shows up and freaks out that he took it apart. Sheldon assures him that Howard can solve any problem that doesn't originate in a Russian man's . Raj wants to return the helicopter due to his father's actions. After Howard gets him to calm down, Raj decides to take responsibility for his life and calls his mother. She finds him calling her a nice surprise. She can't believe he came from the ous of his father. He tells her that is father can't send him funds anymore due to his active . His mother wants to know who he has been seeing and she promises to send Raj more than his father was. Raj tells the guys that he'll buy helicopters for everyone. Leonard comes out of the dressed only in his sexy graduate just for Penny who appreciates it. Penny tells him that he looks sexy and is supposed to wear under his . He is surprised that she knows that. Leonard is going to dress up more to deliver his . Penny offers to take him someplace nice if he'll put on a belt ala her own outfit. Howard had narrowed down the problem to a faulty pin on a . Sheldon is impressed and asked him if he could fix a toy that no longer puffs . One toy a time, Sheldon. Bernadette shows up with the s that Howard asked for. Raj plans on just buying a new helicopter; however, Howard as a wants to fix the problem. Bernadette suggest that they call . The es bulk at that suggestion. Howard laughs at people who call those s. At Leonard's old high school, he is introduced as a distinguished , the noted Caltech , Doctor Leonard Hofstadter. Leonard remembers that last time he was in that , the team played with his . He thanks his beautiful for setting up the broadcast and then surprises Penny by showing her on video. She says "hi " and for everyone to stay in and stay off , even though they are currently graduating. The helicopter now has a working , , , and a charged . Bernadette adds that they also wasted four hours of their lives. They prepare for as the helicopter lets out a puff of smoke just like Sheldon's locomotive used to. Howard concedes to Bernadette to call tech support. He thinks he'll end up talking to a foreigner looking at the same manual he has. As he dials the number, Raj's rings; however, it really, his father. He wants to know what he talked to his about. Raj claims that she has a lot of and that it's good he took after his father. Dr. K was Raj's and that is what got him into so he claims. Then Raj charges into the apartment asking who wants to fly to on a real helicopter? Continuing his speech about , Leonard changes the subject to that he is probably as bored with the speech as he is or Penny. His speech is about how high school is wonderful and prepares you for life though it was a terrible experience for him. Reflecting on how he didn't feel like he existed, he then speaks to the smart and invisible s currently at the high school. With all that time they are spending alone, they are just becoming interesting and people out in the world find them a lot cooler than they thought. For the popular kids, their popularity is now over. He finishes up with congratulating all of them. The guys are still waiting to have a tech rep get on line. Howard muses that he has become an old man now baffled by modern . Suddenly the helicopter turns on and starts . Bernadette warns that they shouldn't be flying that in the . No one is piloting it because it picked up a random WIFI signal from elsewhere. It starts to fly around the apartment terrorizing everyone. Tech support answers and a anxious Sheldon tells him that there's a uprising and he should call the . In the last scene, the helicopter is still flying all over and attacks Leonard and Penny in the . Notes *'Title Reference:' The title refers to the Skype broadcast that Leonard makes to deliver the commencement address to his old high school in New Jersey. *Taping date: March 31, 2015 *This episode was watched by xx.xx million people with a rating of x.x (adults 18-49). *Total viewers including DVR users x.xx million. *The Big Bang Theory was ranked #x for the week ending xx May 2015. *This episode aired in Canada on April 23, 2015 with xx.x million viewers with a weekly ranking of #X. *In the United Kingdom, this episode aired on {date} with xx million viewers and a weekly ranking of #X. *In Australia, it aired on {date} with x.x million viewers. Critics * Jesse Schedeen at IGN - Leonard and Penny had a fun back-and-forth going, especially with Leonard flaunting his "sexy graduate" costume...Leonard's actual speech also made for a very nice scene. His appeal to all the nerds, outcasts and oddballs really spoke to his journey over the course of the show...(The other) story line allowed Howard to come into the forefront and Sheldon play his comic relief sidekick. The humor in their scenes was enjoyably consistent, whether it was the bizarre ritual the two undertook to re-calibrate the drone or their terrified reactions when the device went haywire. Trivia * Mayim Bialik has spoken at a , during the 2011 Commencement Ceremony, which took place at in , May 7, 2011. * Amy only appears in one scene in this episode. * The quadcopter seen in the episode is a Phantom 2 Vision which, at the time of taping, cost around $900. It has already made an appearance on the show in Season 7's The Indecision Amalgamation. Interestingly enough, it had a price tag much lower than realistic. * First appearance of Mrs. Koothrappali since "The Transporter Malfunction" (S5E20). And the first time she appeared live on the telephone and not just on Skype. Second time his father has been seen not on Skype. * The space toilet that Sheldon is referring to is the The Wolowitz Zero-Gravity Waste Disposal System, which appeared in "The Classified Materials Turbulence." In this episode, Howard claims that the toilet worked fine, but it wasn't designed for the Russiancosmonaut's potato based diet. However, in "The Classified Materials Turbulence," Howard said that he made a "teeny-tiny" mistake on the specifications for the diverter valve, which will cause the toilet to fail after about ten flushes. *Second episode where Penny is frightened by one of the nerd's machines which aggressively emerges from Apartment 4A into the hallway. First was "The Killer Robot Instability". *The flag on the left side of the screen at Leonard's old high school is the New Jersey state flag Quotes :Headmaster Edwards: And now, for our commencement address, one of our most distinguished alumni, noted Caltech physicist, Doctor Leonard Hofstadter. (Applauds.) :Leonard: Members of the facility, students. I’m excited to speak to you today. I can’t help, but remember the last time I was in that auditorium. Two guys from the lacrosse team played keep away with my asthma inhaler. But enough about my ten year reunion. I’d also like to take a moment to thank my beautiful fiancée for helping to make this speech possible, even though \weather nearly prevented it. :Penny: Oh, hello. I didn’t know he was going to point it at me so, don’t do drugs and stay in school. :Leonard: They’re graduates. :Penny: Okay. By-ee! (Later) :Leonard: It was L. Frank Baum who said, “No thief, however skillful, can rob one of knowledge.” And that is why knowledge is the best san safest treasure. Wow, I’m boring myself. (Sighs.) Sorry I can’t see any of your faces right now, but I bet you they look like this. Uh, you know, I wrote an entire speech to say how high school prepares you and what a wonderful place it is, but I hated it. Maybe high school is great if you look like this (Penny.), but I didn’t even feel like I existed at that school. And now that I think about it, I bet a lot of you feel the same way. So, for the reminder of my speech, this is for the invisible kids. Uh, maybe you never fit in. Or maybe you’re the smallest kid in the school, or the heaviest or the weirdest. Maybe you’re graduating and you still haven’t had your first kiss. By the way, nineteen, ANDF Geraldine Coco, wherever you are, thank you. Maybe you don’t have any friends. And guess what? That’s okay. While all the popular kids are off doing, whatever, I don’t know what they are doing ‘cause I was never there... :Penny: I…I’ll tell you later. :Leonard: My point is, while you’re spending all this time on your own, building computers or practicing the cello, what you’re really doing is becoming interesting. And when finally do notice you, they’re going to find someone a lot cooler than they thought. And for those of you who were popular in high school, it’s over, sorry. Thank you and congratulations. (Applauds.) Gallery Rad4.png|Why don't you call tech support? NOOOOO!!!!! Rad3.png|The rogue helicopter flying around. Rad2.png|The helicopter takes off by itself. Rad1.png|I am cutting you off. Nj13.jpg|Waiting for a tech guy to come on the line. Nj12.jpg|We make fun of guys who call tech support. Nj11.jpg|Leonard feels very free in just his sexy grad costume. Nj10.jpg|Sexy grad costume. Nj9.jpg|Raj leveraging his parents' divorce for more allowance. Nj8.jpg|I wanted to return it. Nj7.jpg|That's a lot of parts. Nj6.jpg|Howard and Sheldon can't get the helicopter to reset. Nj5.jpg|It's flying, but who's the pilot? Nj4.jpg|The flight has been cancelled. Nj3.jpg|We can't go. Bad weather. Nj2.jpg|It cost as much as a month's rent. Nj1.jpg|Talking about Leonard giving the commencement address. llh.jpg|Leonard. Zz17.png|Beautiful piece of machinery. ZZ16.png|I'm almost packed. Zz14.png|Still need a few things. Zz12.png|There's Amy. Zz11.png|Are you packed? Zz10.png|There's Amy. ZZ9.png|There's Amy. Zz8.png|Do they have I told you so cards in braille? Zz7.png|You could lose an eyeball. ZZ6.png|Why do I have one? Zz5.png|It's nice that your taking Penny. Zz4.png|You get to show Penny your old stomping grounds Zz3.png|Leonard returning to his high school triumphant. ZZ2.png|Where were you when I was single? Zz1.png|Leonard goes back to his high school with a beautiful girl on his arm. Lv17.png|The copter takes-off. Lv16.png|Penny out shopping for Leonard. Lv15.png|I got them to do the speech on Skpe. Wow. Lv14.png|What's this piece? Lv13.png|What did you do? Lv11.png|You have to put it back together. Lv10.png|You should feel how soft my skin is. Lv9.png|You spent a month's rent on a toy helicopter? Lv8.png|Dr. K talking to his son. Lv7.png|Raj at his desk. Lv6.png|Reading the instructions. Lv5.png|That sucks. Lv4.png|They cancelled our flight. Lv3.png|Leonard gets a text alert from his airline. Lv2.png|How did you pack so fast? Lv1.png|Heading to the airport. Hs33.png|Giving his speech. Hs32.png|Leonard talking to the non-popular students. Hs31.png|Penny bored by the speech. Hs30.png|You take after me? Hs29.png|What did you tell your mother? Hs28.png|Are you going to call tech support now? Hs27.png|Talking to the less than popular graduates. Hs26.png|Waiting for tech support to come on-line. Hs25.png|Helicopter sends out a puff of smoke when it shorts out. Hs24.png|Four hours of your life wasted. Check. Hs23.png|Penny waving to the graduates. Hs22.png|Leonard delivering his commencement speech. Hs21.png|Their commencement speaker is applauded. Hs20.png|Bernadette bored waiting for tech support. Hs19.png|Waiting for tech support to call. Hs18.png|Copter takes-off under someone elses' control. Hs17.png|Buzzing toward Sheldon. Hs16.png|AHHHH! Hs15.png|Rogue copter buzzing the apartment. Hs14.png|Helicopter attacking Leonard and Penny. Hs13.png|My I introduce the distinguished alumni, Dr. Leonard Hofstadter. Hs12.png|My I introduce the distinguished alumni, Dr. Leonard Hofstadter. Hs11.png|Can you fix this so it will make a smoke again? Hs10.png|Leonard and his belt Hs9.png|Leonard looks sexy. Hs8.png|Put on a belt and I'll take you somewhere nice. Hs7.png|Why would Penny know they are wearing clothes under those robes? Hs6.png|Is your father seeing someone? Hs4.png|Mrs. K, wealthy divorcee. Hs3.png|How nice of you to call. Hs2.png|Howard can fix anything. Unless it starts in a Russian man's colon. Hs1.png|I need to return it! Hs1.png|I need to return it! References * [http://forum.the-big-bang-theory.com/topic/5089-season-8-taping-reports/page-2] Taping Report by HappyKitty and Dana1010